Nepal Cancels Ineffective Mount Everest Waste Management Scheme

Tue Dec 30 2025 07:14:42 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

After 11 years of failure to address the waste crisis on Mount Everest, Nepal announces the scrapping of its deposit scheme for climbers, revealing the need for a more effective solution.

Nepal's Mount Everest waste deposit scheme, which required climbers to pay a $4,000 deposit to incentivize trash collection, has been deemed a failure by officials. Despite years of operation, the pile-up of waste remains a critical issue, prompting plans for a new, more effective non-refundable clean-up fee aimed at enhancing monitoring and responsibility among climbers in the region.

A scheme to encourage climbers to bring their waste down from Mount Everest is being scrapped - with Nepalese authorities telling the BBC it has been a failure.

Climbers had been required to pay a deposit of $4,000 (£2964), which they would only get back if they brought at least 8kg (18lbs) of waste back down with them.

It was hoped it would begin to tackle the rubbish problem on the world's highest peak, which is estimated to be covered in some 50 tonnes of waste.

But after 11 years - and with the rubbish still piling up - the scheme is being shelved because it failed to show a tangible result.

David — Officials say the problem of waste piling up is more evident on higher camps of Everest.

Himal Gautam, director at the tourism department, told the BBC that not only had the garbage issue not gone away, but the deposit scheme itself had become an administrative burden.

Tourism ministry and mountaineering department officials also indicated that most of the deposit money had been refunded over the years, indicating compliance among climbers.

However, the scheme is criticized because the waste returned is largely from lower camps, rather than addressing the significant disposal needs of higher elevations.

Authorities hope to establish a new system that emphasizes responsibility and includes a non-refundable cleanup fee to sustain cleanup operations and monitoring on Everest.